- Date
- October 4, 1992, 11:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Harwinton, CT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1869SSmitrovich SE-5A Replica
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921004039909A
- Case key
- 37249
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A forced landing in unsuitable terrain, following a power loss due to fuel exhaution. Factors related to the accident were the failure of the pilot to refuel the airplane prior to departure and his improper fuel consumption calculations which led to fuel exhaution.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane was in cruise flight when there was a power loss due to fuel exhaustion. During the forced landing, the landing gear was ripped off and the airplane flipped over. The pilot said he had purchased 12 gallons of auto gas and flown for 40 minutes. However, he had no receipt and there was no evidence of fuel in the tanks or fuel spillage on the ground. Additionally no evidence of a failure or malfunction was found with the engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1869S
- Reported as
- Smitrovich SE-5A Replica (SE-5A REPL)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 078258
- Airframe hours
- 200
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John W. Smitrovich
- Registered owner
- John W. Smitrovich
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 1992
- Departed
- N69 · Stormville, NY
- Destination
- 22B · Burlington, CT
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 200 in this make and model · 900 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 13 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.